Rail tie and fastener.



-J. C.'BURGESS.

RAIL TIE AND FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18. 1914.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.,wAsH|NflToN. D, c.

. curing of the rails to the tie and accurately gaged as required by the gage of the wheels,

urrah snares PArnNr GFFICE- JAMES c. BURGESS, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AssIeNon 0P ONE-HALF T0 PAUL o.

' BROWN, 0P INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

RAIL TIE AND FASTENER.

Ingmar.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed December 18, 1914.. Seria1N0.8 77,868.

To all whom it may concern .1

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. Bunenss, a citizenof the United States, residlng at Indianapolis, inthe county of Marion and shall be so constructed as to be adapted to be used as a substitute for the wooden tie in common use, and which may be produced at the minimuincost of relatively strong metal, such as cast steel or malleable iron, and be very stiff and strong and least liable to fracture under operating conditions.

Another object is to provide an improved rail tie and rail fastenings of simple and reliable construction with respect to the seof the rolling-stock, an aim being to provide improved fastenings of such construction as to be adapted for'use as splice-bars whereby to connect the sections of rails together in a superior manner.

A still further object is to provide a rail 'tie and fastener that will have long life in practical use and therefore be economical in maintenance.

With the above-mentioned and other ob jects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction in metallic railwayties, and in the novel parts and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the appended claims.

Referring'to the drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan of a section of two-r'ailrailway constructed substantially inaccordance with the invention, omitting the requisite roadbed and ballast; F ig. 2 is a fragmentary section on the line A A on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the section of railway; Fig. 4 is a section of the rail tie alone as on the line B B on Fig.1; Fig. 5is a topplan of the rail tie alone; Fig. 6 is aperspective view of one of the improved rail fastening devices of the shorter form for common use;

Fig. 'i'is afront elevation of the improved fastening device slightly modified and adapted to be secured to two adjacent ties to performthe function ofa' splice-bar or angle-bar Fig. 8 is a bottom plan of another one of the fastening devices; and, Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section of the tie alone as on the line C C on Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals on the different figures of the drawings indicate corresponding elements or features of construction herein referred to.

As illustrating the invention and purpose thereof a number of the improved ties 1, 1, 1" are shown and. arranged a suitable distance apart asis customary, a. railsection 2 and also two abutting rail sections? and 4 being arranged upon the ties to constitute a two-rail track in which the T-rail type is used, each section of rail comprising a base or flange portion 5, a web 6 and a head or top portion 7, such being a well-known and preferred form of rail'to which the inventionis more especially adapted tobe applied. Each rail tie comprises a continuous and imperforate base plate 8 of suitable length and Width, preferably approximating that of a wooden tie of approved dimension-s, two walls or side members 9 and 10, each uni-- form in thickness throughout, being fixed upon the two longer edges respectively of the base plate. The'upperportionof the inner side of the wall 9 has two fixed horizontalprojections 11- and. 11 that aresuitably spaced apart to conform to the ga'ge of the track, the opposite wall 10 havingtwo similar projections 12 and 12 on the inner side thereof that are opposite and extend .toward the projections 11 and 11?, respec tively. The tops of the projections are on the plane of the tops of the walls and there-; with form relatively broad'bearings for thev rails. The lower portion of each projection Patented Aug. 10, 1915. '1

rails. The cross-bars have bolt holes 15 and 15 therein respectively to receive, securing bolts 16 or 16. Two similar cross-bars 17 and 18 are fixed to the walls and adjacent projections thereof between the cross-bars 13 and 14C and prevent the rails from being accidentally forced inward or one toward another. The space between the cross-bars 13 and 17 corresponds to the width of the base of the rail; likewise the space between the cross-bars 14 and 18. The cross-bars 17 and 18 have bolt holes 19 and 19 therein to receive securing bolts 20 or 20. Preferably the adjacent sides of the cross-bars 13 and 17 have horizontal ledges 21 and 22 thereon that extend from one to the opposite projection of the side walls, the cross-bars 14: and 18 having similar ledges 21 and 22 thereon, the tops of the ledges being on the plane of the tops of the walls and the projections so as to increase the bearing surface for supporting the base of the rail. A space is left between the ledges so that water may freely drain out from under each rail, and also sand or dust may work through under the rail. Thus a rectangular bearing is afforded of s'uflicient area for supporting each rail. Each rail seat preferably is braced by means of two vertical ribs 23 and 2 1 rigidly fixed on the inner side of the walls 9 and 10 and extending upward from the base 8 to the projections of the walls respectively, and so as to be arranged beneath the web of the rail. From the foregoing it will be seen that the track rails are held in accurate position, each relatively to the other, solely by the rail tie. When the ties are so placed that one rail is in perfect alinement the companion rail also must be so, the ties being obviously imbedded in a suitable ballast as usual, and obviously the ballast may be placed in the ties or on the base plate between the side walls thereof.

Each cross-bar 13 and 14 is provided with a combined clamp plate and rail brace which comprises a base portion 25 or 25 having the under bearing face 26 adapted to rest upon the cross-bar and an inclined bearing face 27 adapted to rest upon the adjacent base flange of the rail, the edge portion of the flange being of less height than the distance from the top of the rail seat to the top of the cross-bar, and a shoulder 28 is formed on the under side of the base 25 that engages the inner face of the cross-bar above the rail flange so as to prevent the base 25 from being forced outward. The base 25 has a bolt hole 29 therein to receive the securing bolt 16 or 16' wherebythe base is rigidly bolted to the cross-bar. The base 25has an angle-plate 30 thereon that extends upward against the outer side of the web of the rail, the lower portion or corner 31 formed by the junction of the angle plate with the base being adaptedto bear against the lower portion of the web; and the top 32 of the angle-plate is adapted to support the, under side of the head of the rail, so that the outer side of those portions of the rail that are subjected to outward pressure, especially on curves, are firmly braced while the rail is firmly secured to the tie. In some cases the combined clamp plate and brace is slightly modified, principally wth respect to its length, being made of suflicient length to constitute two clamp plates and an angle-- bar for splicing the adjacent rail sections together at their joints; thus formed a relatively long base plate 33 is provided which has an equally long angle-plate 34 thereon and corresponding incontour to that of the base 25 and the angle-plate 30, the base having the under bearing face 26 and the shoulder 28 that have contact with the cross-bars of two adjacent ties so as to effectually maintain alinement of the adjacent rail sections at their joints, the angle plate 3 1 having a suitable number of bolt holes 35, 35, that receive splice-bolts 36, 36, of common form whereby the webs of the adjacent rail sections are firmly bolted to the angle-bar 34, a plain splice-bar 37 preferably being placed against the inner side of the web portions of the rails and secured thereto by the bolts, so that the webs are firmly secured between two plates or splice -bars. The inner edge portion of the rail base is clamped to the rail seat by means of clamp plates on the cross-bars 17 and 18, each plate comprising a base portion 38 or 38 adapted to rest upon the cross-bar and having a bolt hole 39 therein to receive the bolt20 or 20 whereby it is rigidly secured to the crossbar, the base portion having a downwardly extending lip 40 that is in contact with the top of the base flange and forms a shoulder 4:1 that engages the adjacent edge of the cross-bar above the ledge 22 or 22 so as to effectually prevent the clamp plate from turning and releasing the rail in case the bolt becomes slightly loose, it being understood, however, that the bolts may occasionally be tightened when the bolts of the splice-bars are tightened according to custom.

In practical use the ties may be adjusted on the road-bed according to the usual custom and the rails are firmly and accurately secured at all times to the ties, yet permitting expansion or contraction of the rail sections under the clamp plates. When repairs or replacements are necessary for any reason the fasteners may be readily removed from the ties to permit the removal of the rails, it being understood that a suitable wrench may be readily inserted under the cross-bars of the ties to hold the nuts of the bolts while the bolts are turned by means of a wrench applied to the heads thereof which preferably are accessible on the tops .being on the plane of the top of the walls,

. the lower portion of each projection being beveled, two pairs of cross-bars fixed upon the side walls and the projections thereof, the two of each pair being oppositely arranged and extending above and below the plane of the top of the walls, the lower portion of the inner side of each cross-bar of each pair having a horizontally projecting ledge thereon that is connected to the pro jections of the two walls, the top of each ledge being on the plane of the top of the Walls, and a plurality of vertical ribs on the inner sides of the walls beneath the horizontal projections respectively, each rib being on a plane midway between the ledges of the pair of cross-bars and connected to the beveled lower portion of the projection. 2. In a rail tie and fastener, the combination of a rail tie comprising two side walls and a base plate supporting the walls, each wall having a horizontal projection on the upper portion thereof near each end of the wall, the top of each projection being on the plane of the top of the walls, two cross-bars fixed on the upper portions of the walls at a distance apart and extending up to a higher plane than the plane of the top of the walls, the lower portion of the inner side of each'of the cross-bars having a horizontally projecting ledge thereon, two crossbars fixed on the upper portions of said walls between the two first-described crossbars and in proximity thereto respectively, two rails seated upon the ledges of said cross-bars respectively and upon the adjacent side walls and projections thereof, two angle-bars secured to the tops of the outer ones of the cross-bars respectively and to the adjacent rails to hold the rails to the inner sides of the cross-bars, and two clamp plates secured to the inner ones of said crossbars respectively and engaging the adjacent inner portion of the rails respectively.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. BURGESS.

Witnesses:

E. T. SILVIUS, J. H. GARDNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

